Chris Rea, the British rock and blues singer-songwriter whose seasonal standard “Driving Home for Christmas” has become a fixture of the festive period in the UK and far beyond, has died at the age of 74 following a short illness, his family has announced. His death on 22 December 2025, just three days before Christmas, was confirmed in a statement released on behalf of his wife and two daughters, who said he died peacefully in hospital surrounded by family.

Image Illustration. Photo by Christian Agbede on Unsplash

A Festive Anthem That Grew Into a Classic

Rea’s name is inseparable from “Driving Home for Christmas”, a gently shuffling, piano-led song written in the 1970s and first released in 1986. The track initially made only a modest impact but slowly became one of Britain’s most-played festive songs, returning to the UK singles chart every December in the streaming era. In recent years, the song has regularly re-entered the UK Top 40 and has amassed hundreds of millions of streams globally, cementing its status as a modern Christmas standard alongside long-established favourites such as “Fairytale of New York” and “Last Christmas”.

Its reach has extended beyond radio playlists. In 2025, “Driving Home for Christmas” was used as the soundtrack to a major Christmas advertising campaign by UK retailer Marks & Spencer, where it was featured in a TV spot fronted by comedian Dawn French. The renewed exposure helped introduce the track to a younger generation already discovering it on streaming platforms and social media.

From Middlesbrough to Global Charts

Chris Rea was born in 1951 in Middlesbrough, north-east England, the son of an Italian father and Irish mother. He joined his first band in his early twenties, having taken up the guitar relatively late, before signing a solo deal and releasing his debut album, “Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?”, in 1978. That record produced the single “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)”, which became a hit in the United States and earned him a Grammy nomination for best new artist.

Over the next four decades, Rea built a quietly formidable catalogue. He released 25 studio albums, moving from soft rock into increasingly blues-based material, and sold an estimated 30–40 million records worldwide, according to industry tallies and label estimates. Two of his albums, “The Road to Hell” (1989) and “Auberge” (1991), topped the UK albums chart, while tracks such as “On the Beach”, “Let’s Dance” and “Josephine” became staples of European radio.

A Distinctive Sound and Deep Loyalty

Rea’s appeal lay in a combination of his weathered, smoky voice and his fluid slide-guitar style, drawing on American blues while remaining firmly rooted in British songwriting traditions. Critics often highlighted his ability to blend blues, rock, soul and pop across albums that moved easily from radio-friendly singles to lengthy guitar workouts. Although he rarely courted celebrity and never became a showy frontman, he cultivated a particularly loyal following in mainland Europe and among British listeners who grew up with his records in the 1980s and 1990s.

Enduring Health Struggles

Rea’s later career unfolded in the shadow of severe health problems. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in his early thirties and underwent major surgery in 2001 to remove his pancreas and parts of his intestines, leaving him with diabetes and long-term complications. In 2016 he suffered a stroke, and the following year he collapsed on stage during a concert in Oxford, prompting the cancellation of remaining tour dates.

Despite those setbacks, Rea continued to record and perform when his health allowed. He shifted even further towards blues-influenced material, a move he described in interviews as a return to the music that first inspired him as a guitarist. In October 2025 he released “The Christmas Album”, a collection of festive songs including a newly remastered version of “Driving Home for Christmas”, underscoring how strongly audiences still associated him with the season.

A Seasonal Staple by the Numbers

Measured in raw statistics, “Driving Home for Christmas” is among the most durable pop songs of the streaming age. The track has logged millions of UK radio plays and has become a predictable presence in end-of-year charts. In December 2022, for example, it peaked at No. 10 on the UK singles chart, more than 35 years after its initial release, while its cumulative streams on services such as Spotify and Apple Music run into the hundreds of millions.

Its annual resurgence reflects a broader trend in the digital music economy, in which festive classics generate enormous seasonal listening spikes and reliable revenue. Analysts at the UK’s British Phonographic Industry have estimated that Christmas music can account for more than 10% of all UK streams in the final weeks of the year, with a relatively small canon of songs—including Rea’s—dominating listening.

Tributes for a "Cherished Son of Middlesbrough"

News of Rea’s death prompted tributes from fans, fellow musicians and public figures. Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald described him as “a most cherished son of Middlesbrough” in a message of condolence to his family, reflecting the pride many in his hometown felt in his international success. Fans shared memories of long, wintry car journeys soundtracked by “Driving Home for Christmas” and of discovering his deeper album cuts years after first hearing his seasonal hit.

Legacy of an Unshowy Hitmaker

Rea is survived by his wife, Joan, and their daughters Josephine and Julia. For them, as for many fans, his legacy extends well beyond a single holiday hit. Across 25 albums, Rea charted his own path from chart-friendly rock into moodier, blues-driven territory, often eschewing fashion in favour of consistency and craft.

Yet it is “Driving Home for Christmas” that will most likely ensure his name endures. Each December, the song’s portrait of weary motorists inching through traffic towards familiar front doors has offered listeners a mix of longing, humour and relief that cuts through the commercial noise of the season. As long as there are people stuck on motorways in the final days before Christmas, Chris Rea’s most famous song—and the voice that delivers it—seems destined to remain part of the soundtrack to going home.